The invention relates to exercising or physical training apparatus in general, and more particularly to improvements in exercising apparatus of the type wherein a support is provided with a seat or an analogous body supporting facility which is flanked by two movably mounted levers.
It is well known to equip a so-called rowing machine with two levers which are operated not unlike oars and are pivotable about horizontal axes against a resistance or load. Reference may be had, for example, to U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,410 to Nobuta. The resistance (actually the moment of resistance) is offered by a load in the form of hydraulic cylinders which are connected with a source of hydraulic fluid by flow restricting or damping means. The magnitude of resistance can be changed by varying the points of attachment of cylinders to the levers. The purpose of such exercising apparatus is to strengthen the circulatory system of the exerciser as a result of continuous stressing. A drawback of a rowing machine or an analogous exercising apparatus is that only selected muscles and/or body parts are active when the apparatus is in use.
It is also known to design exercising apparatus for the express purpose of strengthening only selected muscles of the user, particularly to subject such selected muscles to very pronounced short-lasting stresses to thus promote their growth.
In addition to the aforediscussed patent to Nobuta, applicant is aware of the disclosures in U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,808 to Passera, German Utility Model No. 78 27 288 of Ariabel, and published German patent application No. 2 128 659 of Passera. U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,808 to Passera discloses a portable kit which can be assembled in a number of different ways to serve as a means for exercising different muscles and/or different body parts. The published German application of Passera also discloses a portable exercising apparatus wherein two levers are mounted on spherical joints and are confined to movements in selected directions by forked guides which are detachably secured to the housing. The Utility Model of Ariabel discloses a single upright tubular member of variable length which is mounted on a spherical joint for limited pivotal movement in any one of a number of different directions.